Nicoise Salad

by | Mar 10, 2019

The Nicoise Salad is one of the great French culinary concoctions. It is simple, fresh tasting, and a nutritiously power-packed dish. It is a wonderful salad to make for a buffet table or pot-luck, as it allows people to take the ingredients that suite their particular diets and preferences.

It is also a great make-ahead salad. Everything can be cooked ahead of time and chilled, and then assembled before serving.

Nicoise Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: French
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound red-skinned potatoes, quartered
  • 10 ounces haricots verts or thin green beans, trimmed
  • 10-12 ounces high quality tuna (canned or freshly cooked)
  • 4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
  • 1 purple Daikon radish, sliced
  • ½ shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoons)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon chopped herbs - fresh thyme, parsley, and chives are the best
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated
  • 10-12 Kalamata or Nicoise olives
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • A few very thinly sliced rings of red onion
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • Salt and black pepper
Instructions
  1. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
  2. Drain and set aside.
  3. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes or so, until they are bright green.
  4. Drain and plunge into ice water for a minute or rinse under cold water.
  5. Dry the beans with paper towels.
  6. In a small bowl add the shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, herbs, and vinegar.
  7. Using a small whisk or fork, vigorously stir the ingredients as you pour the olive oil into the bowl in a slow and steady stream.
  8. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
  9. Arrange the lettuce on a platter.
  10. Place the potatoes, green beans, and tuna in separate rows on the platter.
  11. Chiffonade or chop the basil leaves and sprinkle them over the top of the salad.
  12. Scatter the olives, radish slices tomatoes, basil, and capers over the salad.
  13. Arrange with the lemon wedges and eggs around the platter.
  14. Serve the dressing on the side.
Notes
I sometimes like to make this as a tossed salad for more casual meals. To do this, I tear the lettuce into smaller pieces, smash the potatoes with the back of a fork to break them up a bit, chop the eggs, cut the green beans into 1-inch pieces, and toss with the rest of the ingredients. It is delicious and still very pretty served this way.

Enjoy!